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THe next thing to be Treated of, shall be to find out the Hart, or Stag where his Har∣bour or Lare is; for the effecting of which get up early in the Morning; and be sure not to go
with the Wind, for the Hart is very quick of Scent, and will make away upon the least fault; and if you go not betimes, Cattle will be let out, and stiring up and down may chance to tread out the Slot where he hath passed. You must be provided with a Bloodhound, Draughthound or Suithound, which must be led in a Liam, accor∣ding as in the Plate is represented, and for the quickning his Scent 'tis good to rub his Nose with Vineger.
When his harbour or resting place is found, [ 10] and that you have lodged him, all things ought to be prepared for the Hunting him the next Morn∣ing; For in those Months that he is in the Pride of his Grease, he retires from Feeding back to his Layre, about Sun-rising; and for the most part, if not always, to one and the same place, unless he meet with some notable disturbance in the in∣terim.
Harts do go to their Layre, commonly in the [ 20] Springs; and although they were drawn into some strong hold, or Thicket, yet if they be old craf∣ty Deer, they will return sometimes to the sides of the Coppices, to hearken or spy if there be any thing to anoy them; and if they chance to vent the Huntsman or his Hound, they will immediate∣ly dislodge from thence, and go to some other place.
When the Huntsman, or Harbinger doth perceive that 'tis time to beat, let him put his Hound be∣fore [ 30] him, and beat the outside of the Springs or Thickets, and if he find a Hart, or Deer, let him see if the Slot be fresh or not, and he may also know by the drawing of his Hound, although sometimes one may be deceived by them, when the Mist or Dew is great, which taketh off the Scent; But if the Hound stick well upon the Scent, then let him hold him short for fear lest he Lapist (that is open,) for in the Morning a Hound will draw better when he is held short, than if [ 40] he were let at the length of the Liam; and let him draw till he come to the Covert where he is, and if possible, harbour him, marking all the Signs, as the Slot, his Entries and the like, to know what manner of Deer he is.
Then let him plash, or bruise down some small Twigs, some above, and some below, and whilst his Hound is hot in the pursuit, let him beat the outsides, and mark his Ringwalks twice or thrice about the Wood, one while by the great and o∣pen [ 50] ways, that he may help himself by his Eye; another while through the Covert, for fear lest the Hound should overshoot him, for he will have better Scent in the Covert, than in the High∣ways. And if he find that the Deer be not gone out of the Ringwalk, or that he hath drawn a∣miss, then let him go to his Marks, which he hath p••ashed or bruised, and draw Counter until he may take up the Fewmet, as well made in the even∣ing Relief, as in the Morning; and let the place [ 60] where he hath fed be marked.
If the Huntsman find two or three places where he hath entred, and as many where he hath come out, in this case the freshest entry must be taken notice of; for a Hart doth oft times go in and out of his harbour in the Night, especially if he be an Old Crafty Deer, and will use great Subtilties, beating one place too and fro divers times. In this case the Huntsman must take his Compass and Ring-walk the greater about the Covert, thereby to encompass all his Entries and Goings out, and let him suffer his Hound to draw almost to the Harts Layre or Harbour, and being near it, then draw with more care, checking your Hound that he spends not when he comes so near as to have him in the Wind; and having disco∣vered that you ought to draw him, retire some distance back; and if you perceive him not di∣sturbed, make your second round a little nearer which will secure him in his harbour; so that ha∣ving broken a Bough, or plashed some Twigs, as aforesaid, for your Directions, leave him till the next Morning when you intend your Chase.
For the finding out a Hart by the Eye in the Springs, observe over Night in what part the Deer goes to feed, and if it be in a Spring, observe which way to come in the Morning upon a clear Wind, and choose a standing in some Tree on the border of the Spring, from which all things may be discerned that feed therein. In the Morning be at the Covert before Day, and being near the Deers harbour, leave your Hound with some one that goes with you, that you may quickly have him on occasion, and then get up the Tree to espy him, and there stay until he is gone to harbour, obser∣ving well the place where he entred; then dis∣cend the Tree and fetch the Hound; but do not begin to harbour him for an hour at least after his going to Layre, for fear of his discovering you, and thereby lose him. And if in casting about the Covert any Pyes or Jayes make a chat∣tering, then withdraw and stand close, for that is a sign he is yet on foot; so that stay about half an hour before you make your Ring-walk.
Oft-times those that are crafty, as being chased with Hounds, and escape, do afterwards betake themselves for a long time to close Thickets, and feed in small Groves or Coppices, that have been lately felled, within large Coverts; and this they do most commonly in May and June, more than in any other Season of the Year, by reason they go not much to the Water, but content them∣selves with the Dew and moisture of the Earth; but in July and August the drought and heat is such that forceth them out for Water, and when they go out they retire into their Holds two or three hours before day.
For the finding out such crafty Deer, observe this method. When you find the Slot of a Hart in a thick Covert, that is two or three days old, and that the Ground is broken with such old Tracts, then cast about and beat all the out∣sides; and if you find that he hath not gone out or in, then conclude he keepeth within: In such case get under the Wind, and enter the Covert, holding your Hound short, and if he hath any thing in the Wind, and that you find you are not far from the Hart, then withdraw for fear of rouzing him, and go into the Covert at some other side that is not so thick, and take up what Fewmishings you find; but go not into such pla∣ces until about Nine of the Clock in the Morn∣ing, because such Harts do oft take harbour with∣in those little Coppices to enjoy the comfort of the
YE WHARBOVRING Y STAGG
To the Worship-full Henry Wallop of Farligh in the County of Southampton Esq
This plate is humbly dedi∣cated by Richard Blome.
Sun, and after Nine a Clock do withdraw to the shady Places. Nor must you be too over-hasty in entring the Thickets, because that the Harts do sometimes take Layre near those privy Coppices: Therefore let it suffice to have seen the Slot fresh, and to have taken up the Fewmishing, and so re∣tire as privately as you can.
The Huntsman or Harbourer must be stirring early to seek the Hart in such places, because that they withdraw into their Coverts before Day, [ 10] that they may not be disturbed by Cattle or People, who oft-times break the Slot, and render it undiscernable.
But to proceed to the Chase of the Hart. The Horsmen, Huntsmen and Hounds, being all ready prepared in the Field by Day-break, having their Harbenger, Bloodhound or Draughthound, in readi∣ness, they begin the Chase.